How to handle a custom bike build

By Matt Wikstrom, CTech Editor

There are plenty of good reasons why buyers considering a new bike should consider a custom build. Why settle for off-the-rack when you can specify every part of the bike to suits your tastes, desires, whims and budget? This post provides a checklist to guide you through collecting all the parts you need for a custom bike build.

The most convenient way to buy a new bike is to choose from the huge range of factory-built bikes offered by dozens of brands. These off-the-rack packages offer great value and prospective buyers can take the bike for a test-ride before making a decision. However, the buyer doesn’t get much say in the selection of componentry or the colour of the bike, though it is possible to swap the saddle or fit a different-sized stem before the bike leaves the store.

At the other end of the spectrum, custom builds allow buyers tailor the bike to suits their every need. If you’re familiar with the Bikes of the Bunch then you’ll know how varied the final result can be. The buyer decides on the priority for the build–be it the latest technology, aerodynamics, weight, value for money, or even a specific era–and then selects each part accordingly. In almost every instance, the buyer doesn’t get a chance to take the bike for a ride before spending their money, nor do they have a clear idea on how the bike will look other than their vision for the final build. The whole process takes a leap of faith, a fair measure of time and effort, but it’s an act of creation that offers immense rewards for the owner.

In the past, riders looking for a custom-build relied heavily on a good bike shop to obtain all the parts they needed, otherwise they spent a lot of time travelling to, or phoning, different shops. Now the internet provides a virtual menu that buyers can research (from the comfort of an office chair, no less) all the parts they need for a custom build.

Half the satisfaction with building a custom bike is researching and collect all the parts you need.

1. Frameset

The logical starting point for any custom build is the frameset because it serves as the core of the bike and provides a template to guide the build. There are few standards when it comes to bike parts and frames can vary widely in their specifications. Rather than anticipate what size headset, seatpost or bottom bracket will be required, pick the frameset first and follow the specifications picking the rest of the parts. If you don’t have a handy list of specifications for the frame then you’ll have spend some time taking measurements before you start shopping: the internal diameter of the seat tube (for the post), external diameter of the seat tube (for the seat post clamp and front derailleur band, if required), external diameter of the fork steerer (for the stem), internal diameter of the head tube (for the headset), and the dimensions and thread type for the bottom bracket. In this instance, you might be best served by visiting a shop to validate your measurements.

Make sure you have a clear idea about the frame geometry you’ll need to ensure a suitable fit. If you’ve opted for a custom frameset, then the framebuilder will work with you to determine the right geometry, which may include advice on stem and crank lengths, and handlebar width. For stock framesets, find one that is a good match with your current ride or get a professional fitting to provide you with the ideal dimensions you’ll need. The effective top tube length and head tube length are generally the most important dimensions to pay attention to.

To keep matters as simple as possible, go hunting for a frameset (ie frame plus forks) rather than sourcing the two separately. There are only a few aftermarket manufacturers to choose from (eg. Enve, Woundup, Easton) and some important variables that you should keep in mind before committing to a new fork. Follow the specifications for the head tube of the frame to decide upon the appropriate steerer size (typically 1″ or 1.125″) and type (threaded or threadless) and select an appropriate rake (the larger the rake, the quicker the steering will be).

The recent introduction of electronic shifting complicates frame choice a little since unique fittings are required to install the battery and wiring, and is the one instance where the choice of groupset has an influence on the design of the frame. If you’re keen to specify an electronic groupset for your custom build then endeavour to choose a frame that has been designed to accommodate the battery and wiring.

The Look 695 frameset comes complete with frame, forks, cranks, bottom bracket, headset, stem and integrated seatpost, but leaves the choice of chainrings up to the buyer providing fittings for both standard and compact chainrings.

2. Fittings

I think of the fittings as the fiddly bits that are required to attach all the parts to the frameset. This includes the headset, bottom bracket, seat post clamp, front derailleur band, cable bosses, fork inserts, and cable guides. Sometimes these bits can be difficult to get and will delay final assembly so it’s best to attend to them as soon as possible.

Headset: many contemporary framesets come complete with a headset. If a headset is required, then consult the head tube specifications to determine what kind of headset is required (see above). If you’re using a threadless headset then make sure you have some matching spacers (eg 1.125″ spacers) for setting the stem height (spacers range in height 1-25mm).

Fork insert: if the frameset uses a threadless headset, then a threaded anchor is required inside the fork steerer to attach the compression bolt. Look for an expanding plug for carbon steerers or a star nut for steel or alloy steerers.

Bottom bracket: the number of bottom bracket standards has grown in recent years with the introduction of various press-fit systems. While the frame specifications will get you started towards finding the right bottom bracket for the frame, it will have to be compatible with the crankset that you intend to use. There are essentially two choices for threaded bottom brackets (English versus Italian) compared to many more threadless types. The latter may also require a specific adapter to accommodate your cranks.

Seat post clamp: needs to match the external diameter of the seat tube.

Front derailleur mount: if there is a tab (a “brazed-on” tab, though many are bolted or riveted now) for the front derailleur on the seat tube, then there is nothing more to do other than buying a front derailleur to suit. In the absence of a tab, measure the external diameter of the seat tube and source a front derailleur with a matching clamp diameter. Alternatively, a separate clamp can be used to substitute for a braze-on tab.

Brake mounts: specific mounts are required for caliper, cantilever, and disc brakes and will be incorporated into the design of the frameset.

Cable stops and guides: most frames provide all the stops and guides you’ll need to install the cables (or wires) but inspect all the cable paths to see if anything is needed. If you’re setting up a CX bike with cantilever brakes, cable guides will be required at the head- and seat-tubes.

Threaded bottom brackets are easy to install and will work with most cranksets, except those devoted to the need threadless systems such as BB30.

3. Groupset

Once upon a time a groupset described a huge ensemble of parts but in recent years it has been pared to the essentials: brake/gear levers, derailleurs, cranks, chain, cassette, and brake calipers. For road bikes, it’s a three way choice: Shimano verus SRAM versus Campagnolo. Importantly, each company designs its shifters to operate with exclusively with their derailleurs so there is no mix ‘n match option here. Such restrictions typically don’t extend the cranks and brake calipers, however each company is able to optimise the performance of the ensemble. There is the option of mixing different levels of componentry for a given brand to economise in places though some levels may be incompatible (eg 10-speed Centaur shifters can’t be used with 11-speed Record derailleurs, for obvious reasons).

For Shimano and Campagnolo, deciding on a specific level of groupset also decides the number of cogs you get in the package. Thus the 2013 Dura Ace groupset is 11-speed, while Ultegra and 105 are 10 speed. Similarly, Campagnolo’s Athena, Chorus, Record and Super Record groups are 11-speed, while the rest of the range is 10-speed. In contrast, all of SRAM’s groups are 10-speed. Then there is the issue of electronic versus mechanical groupsets. Shimano and Campagnolo offer electronic versions of their upper end groupsets that adopt slightly different approaches to the new technology but both comprise a battery, wires and junction boxes, and motorised derailleurs. Since the wires can’t be cut to length, some care has to be taken to order wire lengths that suit the size of the frame.

There are normally a few options to choose from for each part of a groupset that will help tailor their fit to you and/or the frame:

Cranks: the standard length is 172.5mm but riders with short legs may find 167.5 or 170mm lengths provide a better fit; similarly, riders with long legs may find lengths up to 180mm are better suited to them. Road cranksets are typically offered with a choice of standard chainrings (53/39 teeth), compact chainrings (50/34 teeth), and most recently, mid-compact chainrings (52/36 teeth), but other options may be available. Riders looking a wider range of ratios might want to consider a triple chainring crankset (see below) however a wide-range cassette (11-32 teeth) can be paired with a compact double to provide the similar range of ratios. Whatever the size, the ideal chainring combination will allow you to maximise the use of the rear cogs. There’s no point in running standard-sized chainrings if you rarely use the higher gear ratios.

Triple chainrings: both Shimano and Campagnolo offer groupsets with a triple crankset that are suited for touring with heavy loads and climbing long mountain passes with less effort. Triple-specific derailleurs are required to accommodate the extra chainring and a longer chain. A triple-specific shifter (left hand lever) may also be necessary, so in practical terms, switching from a double to a triple requires a lot more hardware than a different crankset.

Bottom bracket: needs to be matched to the specifications of the frame and suit the bearing specifications of the cranks. An adapter may be required to allow a specific set of cranks to be used with certain bottom bracket/bearing systems.

Cassette: the range of cogs that comprise the cassette should suit your needs and the terrain you plan to ride. A straight block (eg 12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21) is perfect for flat or gently rolling terrain, expand the range to include larger cogs (typically up to 27 teeth, though a wide-range cassette up to 32 teeth is available) for riding steep hills.

Front derailleur: as mentioned above, front derailleurs are designed to fit a braze-on tab or are supplied with an integrated clamp. Most front derailleurs will work with both standard and compact chainrings but a triple-specific derailleur is required for a triple crankset.

Rear derailleur: must be matched to the shifters and the number of cogs in the cassette. The default choice for road bikes is a short cage; choose a derailleur with a long cage if you’re setting the bike up with a triple crankset or a wide-range cassette (11-32 teeth).

Brakes: road bikes usually use caliper brakes but with disc brakes on the horizon, the choice is likely to expand, with cantilever brakes the only other choice (typically found on CX bikes). Once again, the frame specifications will guide your decision here. Road framesets that provide a lot of clearance around the wheels for mudguards and wider tyres (eg. touring frames) may require long-reach brake calipers.

Cables: expect a full complement of cable to be included with the shifter/brake levers. Aftermarket cable sets can improve the quality of shifting and braking compared to stock cable sets; they also offer a wider range of colours and materials too.

An adapter band can be used to attach a front derailleur with a braze-on fitting to a frame.

4. Wheels

There are two big decisions to be made regarding the selection of the wheels: first, the preferred tyre system (clincher, tubular or tubeless), and second, factory- versus custom-built wheels. For the first, match the rim type to the tyre system you wish to use and for the second, see this post for a discussion of the pros and cons of each approach. If you elect to go custom, then you’ll need to source rims, hubs and spokes, which have to be carefully matched. Don’t forget rim tape for clinchers (most factory-built wheelsets come with the tape installed).

The only other detail to attend to is to make sure that the freehub body is compatible with the groupset you intend to use (ie 11-speed Shimano, 10-speed Shimano/SRAM, or Campagnolo). For older framesets, hubs from the same era will generally be required to suit narrower spacing of the rear dropouts.

5. Contact points

Stem: the stem has two diameters, one for the forks, and the other for the bars. The majority of threadless forks have a diameter of 1.125″ and stems to suit these forks are widely available. Handlebar diameters have increased in recent years and the new standard has a diameter of 31.6mm. Opting for bars with larger or smaller diameters will require a stem to match. Once you have the diameters sorted out, all that is left is to choose the length and angle of rise to place the handlebars in the right spot relative to the saddle. Threadless systems use spacers above the top cap of the headset to set the stem height on the fork steerer and are available in 1-25mm increments. If you’re building a bike with threaded forks then a standard quill stem will be required.

Handlebars: in addition to the diameter at the stem, handlebars vary in width and the shape of the drop. The choice of width is essentially a matter of preference, but generally narrow bars are better suited to riders with small builds and narrow shoulders. There are lots of different handlebar shapes on the market but there are two major categories, large/regular versus compact, where the drops and levers are easier to reach on a compact bar.

Seatpost: the diameter of the seatpost must match the internal diameter of the seat tube precisely, where a difference of 0.1mm is significant. Posts vary in their length and by how much the seat clamp is offset from the centreline of the post. Frames with a sloping top tube will require a long post (up to 350mm) and ideally, you should know how much setback (ie how far the centre of the saddle needs to be positioned behind the bottom bracket) is required for the saddle to choose a suitable post.

Saddle: saddle choice is a matter of personal preference and one size fits all (with the exception of the Selle Italia’s Monolink system).

Pedals: like saddles, selecting a suitable pedal is a matter of preference since one thread size fits all road cranksets. Speedplay pedals provide the greatest range of adjustability for positioning the feet on the pedals.

Tyres: straightforward choice here, just match the tyre system to the rims. Most road frames will accommodate tyres up to 25mm wide; check the frameset specifications if you’re thinking of running wider tyres. Ensure the valve stems for the tyres/tubes suit the depth of the rims.

6. Finishing Touches

There are a variety of ways to add a personal touch to a custom build (or your current ride) and it’s worth taking the time to dwell on these last details.

Custom paint: the ultimate in personal touches, turn something that has come off-the-rack into an exotic species, or, make the old/familiar new again. This is where a bike build becomes a work of art and Sun Graphics has to be one of the best artists in the business.

Upholstery: Rule #8 dictates that the seat and handlebar tape must match (at the very least). You can personalise a stock saddle with custom leather upholstery from Busyman Bicycles.

Bottle cages: there’s a massive range of bottle cages on the market that can be broken down into different materials, each of which have their own characterisitics.

Custom name stickers: everybody deserves to have their name on the top tube of their bike and a custom-made sticker is surprisingly affordable.

Putting it all together

The obvious strategy is to find a good mechanic to take care of the build. Some bike shops won’t welcome a new customer with a box full of parts acquired from online sources, so it might be worth calling around and getting a few quotes first. Otherwise, hunt down a service-only business where you can talk directly with the mechanic that will do the work for you. If you have some aptitude for mechanics then it’s worth having a crack at it yourself–there’s enormous satisfaction in building your own bike–and you can enlist a mechanic to take care of any jobs that need specialised tools (eg headset cups), check it over, and take care of any fine tuning at the end.

Final Comments

While every rider deserves a custom bike build, it is a demanding process that can overwhelm the uninitiated. However, there is enormous satisfaction in hand-picking each part of your new bike and I believe the results easily justify the extra time and effort.

All but once I have built up custom bikes. And that one time I bought off the shelf a complete bike from a shop I changed the wheels, bars, stem, saddle and crankset. I love building up my own bikes.

PeterC

Agree, the proliferation of OEM parts (which might be ok/safe, but generally heavy, heavily branded and not exactly right for you personally) can make an off the shelf bike a false economy

Dan Snape

Nice article. I’ve just finished this process myself and it is extremely rewarding to source the parts and build the bike yourself.

http://twitter.com/Neil_in_Oz Neil Aldridge

Great article.
The potential problem with this process is finding a bike shop willing to build your dream bike with parts bought elsewhere (especially online overseas).
Most folk can throw together the major chunks of a bike build but facing/pressing in headsets/BBs and building wheels etc are best left to those with experience, proficiency and the required specialist tools.

scano

My custom build took place last year, the bike was based on the concept of representation of the owner. A Minimalist Designer. What i learnt through the process is that a custom bike is more about personal reward than the bike being better than one off the shelf. Its your bike and it should represent you the owner. It will take longer than you think and you’ll spend more money than you thought and you’ll love it.

good article – thanks cyclingtips.
I didn’t like the idea of forking out several thousand dollars for a bike that was exactly the same as one everybody else can get and wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I also liked the idea of saving a bit of cash. So I built my own. I
sourced the frame and fork combination and the cranks from my local bike shop and then got everything else as I wanted from a range of sources. After much deliberation I went with sl3 s-works, s-works cranks, campag record throughout, campag neutron wheelset, 3T bars and stem, thrones saddle, 3T bar tape, look pedals…etc etc. Putting it all together was a bit of a challenge, but a fun challenge (and as a result I have a much better understanding of how everything works). I got my local bike shop to give it a full check once it was all together (just for peace of mind and a bit more precise gear tuning).

Anonymous

Yeap, been there done that with a imported Carbon frame. Very happy with the result and cost me about half what I would have spent on an equivalent bike off the shelf. You can avoid the hassle of a wheel build by purchasing factory wheels.

Without a doubt the internet provides a convenient single point option for finding everything you need, but what about community? I know it’s a tired argument and I am sure you were expecting this kind of response, but I’m taking the charge.

On top of their weekly rides, nearly every shop around here has a team and hosts a race or two. It seems ridiculous to think they can do this without any kind of financial backing.

It’s true, not every shop can get every part that you need and sometimes you have to go online. I understand this and have done it myself. But what an online store can’t do is give back. In this sense it would be self defeating to wholly shop online. If everyone shops online for everything then there will be no shop, no team, no race, and no community.

I’ll quit wasting your time with a tired argument, but it seems ridiculous to lament about ‘Custom wheelbuilds, a dying art’ in a similar entry while you suggest buying an entire custom bike online.

For disclosure sake, I’ve worked as a courier the last five years and six months ago I started working in a shop. My favourite part of the job is helping people build their dream bikes. The look on their faces when it all comes together is pretty incredible.

http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips

Hey DangerDirte, thanks for the feedback. I agree with what you’re saying and cannot overstate how much I appreciate the support that the local industry gives back to the cycling community. When I read the article I didn’t see any slant whatsoever, but we all see things through our own lens. I think people will shop wherever they want no matter what we say, and I don’t think it’s worth hiding the fact that we all buy online.

http://byke.com.au/ Byke

Personally I source much more of my information from the web (from articles just like this one) than I’ve ever received from bike stores.

Which isn’t a criticism of my LBSs. It’s just that I prefer to do my research in my own time, and compare various sources, rather than feel I’m taking up the time of a paid employee when I know I’m never going to be a particularly ‘good’ customer for them.

We each have our own ethical standards. I’ll wander through a store occasionally (often when a friend has asked for a new bike recommendation), but I never try anything on if I don’t intend to buy it then and there if it fits.

Tomotron

CT I like this site and I like the basis of this article; but I agree that most LBS will be a bit shitty if you do a “Wiggle” on them especially if you have been in an scouted about for advice and measurements. The relationship between rider and shop is an important one to have; take the time and financial pain to cultivate it and it will bear fruit, i now get great discounts at my LBS and they have sorted me out when I needed something fixing, often for free because they know I’ll be back. There is no denying the LBS is expensive initially and probably even with my discounts Wiggle is probably cheaper. But wiggle dont offer to let me have a go on their personal bikes or throw a free pair of socks my way when i go and buy some stuff. And in turn i am going to pay a little bit more for my custom build because the LBS now know me know what i want from the bike and they are genuinely enthusiastic about it something i dont get from the wiggle/chain reaction websites. By quoting rule #8 Wade you set yourself up for rule #58 http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#58.

Notso Swift

I think the progressive shops are separating their sales functions and service, some of them that I know are making more money from service and see sales as a support function. Stock levels have been refined and high end gear is generally to order, the days of walking in and buying a pivot for a 1991 Record rear brake are well and truly gone.

Nick

I hate, hate, hate this attitude.

I’m fortunate enough to have found a “shop” who specialize in building bikes from parts off the internet. The difference is amazing – suddenly customers can stop pretending that the bike shop has competitive prices and can actually discuss the best options for them, rather than the limited options the shop sells.

If I ran a bike shop, I’d put a big sign in the window “Internet parts welcome here”, and convert as quickly as possible into a service business instead of a product selling business.

http://www.facebook.com/sam.weinberg.0 Sam Weinberg

I’ll step out and disagree to a certain extent, not about online shopping, but the slant in the article. Online shopping was only mentioned in the opening paragraphs as a counter point to days-past where involved and direct contact with a shop was the only way to accumulate parts. CT never outright said “buy online”, simply implied its an option that doesn’t involve hours and hours haggling parts orders with a service tech.

Though I don’t support purchasing online, researching and selecting parts on the webz is an educational experience previously reserved for the bike shop lurker or intense catalog nerd. Disclosure: I’ve worked in shops for a long, long time. Just like the Fax Machine was supposed to end the courier industry, I doubt online shopping will end local shops–tools are expensive, bikes are difficult to manage, and online shoppers turned home mechanics will always over torque something!

DangerDirte

I’m just going to respond here rather than to each individual.

I will admit my first response was a bit of a knee jerk reaction. Saying this entire article had a slant towards online shopping was a bit strong. I do think this is an excellent and well-written article that will help anyone who is thinking about starting a custom build. My apologies. I’m not sure where to begin so I’ll just jump right in.

Clearly Internet shops are here to stay and any brick shop that doesn’t accept this is doomed. I wholly agree that in the end more competition is better for the customer in terms of pricing, and that shops will
have to focus more on service rather than sales to prosper. With that being said, some services can’t have a price but do have a cost.

Recently someone came in inquiring about a Time frame. We set him up on the fit bike, figured out his measurements, contacted the distributer, and then heard nothing back from the customer. When we were
finally able to reach the customer, it turns out he took the fit measurements and purchased his frame online. He was then too embarrassed to come back in to get parts. We don’t charge for this initial fitting
because we’re only trying to find the best match for the customer. As we are a small shop, the time we spent helping him we didn’t spend helping other customers: a double loss.

It’s natural for people to seek out the best prices, but don’t be a dick about it. I’ve noticed some shops here in Canada are blending both a storefront and an online presence. I think it’s a smart idea and is a way to take a front against these bigger sites. It isn’t so much the online shopping that bothers me, but where your dollars end up. By always seeking out the best deals I think you’re undercutting not
only the local shops, but the local cycling community as well, which is the bigger picture I am concerned about.

The internet is a huge compliment to shops as far as research and exposure. I fully encourage customers to become as knowledgeable as possible. Someone mentioned Shifter Bikes. I follow this guy on instagram and I am always impressed at his level of service as well as his unique approach to this business. I’ve got nothing against doing stuff online, but, when the buck stops, who or what are you supporting?

As for CyclingTips, I didn’t intend for this to be an attack on the article or the site and I’m sorry if it came off that way.

I suppose I am just frustrated that in a sport which revels in tradition, commitment, heroism, and sacrifice for the greater victory, people so easily cop out elsewhere just to save a few bucks.

Dangerdirte

Sorry for the long winded response. I know this article is about custom bikes and I kind of went off on a tangent.

Arfy

I think we all understand the frustration of LBS’s that get used for Internet buyers like your Time buyer. However, this is where I believe there’s scope for change in the business model. If you’re offering the ‘service’ part to sell the product, then please, charge the customer upfront for a fitting. You could offer them a ‘discount voucher’ or similar once they’ve had the fitting to buy the bike through your shop, and I’m sure the Time distributor would support you – they themselves should be giving you a discount on the bike because you’ve helped to sell their bike to the customer with the extra service. The same should go for clothing, shoes, etc. where people are more inclined to want to ‘try before they buy’. This is a similar business model that already happens in industrial and manufacturing industries where extra services are required to engage the customer before the final sale – the distributor gets a ‘registration discount’ to compensate for the time and effort put into supporting a technical sale to a customer, so their buy price and margins should always be better. You won’t always win against the big “volume pushers”, but if bike manufacturers and their supply chain get on board with particularly suited products then it should be a success for everyone. Maybe it requires a change of thinking in the bike world?

Andrew

The problem is that the change to this type of discount voucher would have to be unilateral, and would push the customers into buying from that shop (and thus their brands) before they’ve settled on the specifics. The fit is part of the sales pitch, pure and simple. With a poor fit the bike won’t sell, and until you sit down and see what can be done with that particular bike’s geometry and that particular person you cannot get an absolute sense of if that bike will fit exactly how the customer wants it to. It’s completely understandable that a customer will want to get an idea of how the bike fits and rides before he drops thousands of dollars on it.

Additionally, if you’re the only shop in town that charges upfront for a bike fit you’re going to lose business. Unless it is a dedicated repeat customer, in which case you already have their fit information, they’re not going to give you money when they aren’t even sure that they’ll buy the bike from you.

Sean Doyle

Simple, save your time and line up with the local physio/bike fit guru. Advise the customer to go and get a professional fit, explaining that while you would like the customer to return and purchase from you, that it opens up other possibilities if the shop doesn’t carry a bike that would suit. Having the three contact points sorted it’s just a matter of checking quickly with the bike in mind if that position can be achieved. You don’t lose any time in fitting the rider with the high potential of the person going somewhere else and you may win some kudos that makes the rider want to come back and buy a bike from you.

Shops that turn there nose up at fitting parts bought online are shooting themselves in the foot. You don’t have to stock parts and you get paid for your actual time working. I would have thought that as a no brainer really.

Kiwicyclist

Up to about my 10th custom build (including handbuilt wheels for every build) and would never do it any other way. Helps to use a world class mechanic – Shifterbikes – as I have trouble with anything more mechanical than changing a tire.

Matt C

Have to second the Huzzah for Dan at Shifterbikes. Best wheels for all budgets. Since getting my wheels 8 months ago, they have been straight as an arrow without requiring a true and they go like the clappers.

Notso Swift

Quite apart from the fun factor (and it is great fun working out your build) I am 6’5″ so custom is my way, I never get to test ride on a bike that fits anyway so everything is a leap of faith. Now it is even harder with frames all being undersized and companies expecting you to use the stem/seat post to tune – fine for the masses, but when the TT is only 58cm (typical XXL) I would need a 16.5 cm stem

One thing I will add with Forks, I got caught with bearing race angle on my old LOOK. (Deda DAVS on a 486 frame)

The other choice for people some people is the halfway house, buy a full bike and pimp it to suit, good place to start if you are nervous.

Notso Swift

Quite apart from the fun factor (and it is great fun working out your build) I am 6’5″ so custom is my way, I never get to test ride on a bike that fits anyway so everything is a leap of faith. Now it is even harder with frames all being undersized and companies expecting you to use the stem/seat post to tune – fine for the masses, but when the TT is only 58cm (typical XXL) I would need a 16.5 cm stem

One thing I will add with Forks, I got caught with bearing race angle on my old LOOK. (Deda DAVS on a 486 frame)

The other choice for people some people is the halfway house, buy a full bike and pimp it to suit, good place to start if you are nervous.

maddy

I’m similar to Notso Swift, as a woman cyclist at 6’3″, and being all leg and no body finding a bike to fit was really difficult. My roadie is a cannondale (60cm frame) and has pretty much ended up being “pimped” out as it were to suit my shape. My new track bike is a custom build as I was on a budget and the local bike store owner offered to build it for me on a quoted price. Red Langster specialized frame 58cm frame, with velocity carbon wheels, 3T handlebars and stem (second hand), I love it to pieces, it’s great having my own bike at the track too.

Notso Swift

Good choice with the ‘Dale, one of the few brands still making genuinely big frames but still annoys me that they call the 60 actual a 63… (bang head)

pcs

To be honest this article lacks the sort of detail one needs to actually undertake building a bike up. It’s the kind of light article you’d see in some “Bicycling” mags. I think armed with only this base level of knowledge, you’d wind up making some costly mistakes. But perhaps you only see it as a starting point…

Cycling Tips has really stepped up its pro coverage of late by offering the kind of insider info and honest opinion which is hard to get elsewhere. It would be great if the tech content followed that example. It would be good to see some more serious analysis of particular areas and maybe add comments from various pro mechanics? Anyways – sorry for the critique, just a suggestion.

http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips

I appreciate the feedback @9fbbefba91671c39652c076af589e86f:disqus . I thought Matt distilled this process down quite nicely. I used to have a professor in Uni tell me, “if I give you a day to write something, you’ll hand in 100 pages, if I give you a month, you’ll hand in 10″.

We’ll never please everyone all the time, but please keep the constructive feedback coming. Thank you.

Alan

I wanted a bike set up specifically for long road rides in mountains. I got a custom-made frame from England, and bought most of the parts from England and the USA. Most of my selections were based on reviews and comments on the web, some were based on already knowing what I wanted. I assembled the bike myself (three very enjoyable evenings) then went to a physiotherapist/cyclist, who does a lot of bike fitting, to tweak the saddle position and handlebar position. The whole process was quite easy and I am delighted with the results. I’ve done lots of mountains, including the Alpine Classic Extreme, Fitz’s Extreme, Baw Baw and La Grande Boucle des Pyrenees 2012, written up by Roger Cull in an article for Bicycling Australia to be published in the issue of March-April 2013.

For shorter, easier rides one of my N bikes is fine, but for really tough days I wheel out the N+1. The biggest benefits are in comfort and ergonomic efficiency, in ways that become apparent only after 10 hours in the saddle :)

a surly chrosscheck frame for a cyclocross singlespeed (cassette with ice is gearless, this is fearless), build by my one-man-bikeshop. he was happy that i brought every part via internet, no work for him to order it …

Anonymous

Two years ago my starting point was simple, maybe simple minded: a carbon monocoque frame weighing under a kilo, clear coated carbon and with a smooth curve continuing from top tube to seat stays – because I liked that look. That was it. I found exactly what I was looking for: a company called Velocite in Taiwan were throwing out last year’s model of their now discontinued ‘Isoflow’ frame, unpainted, for about US$800. I added SRAM Red, Oval seat post, 3T Ergonova bars, Specialized Phenom seat and 3T Alloy stem. Actually initially I fitted an Oval adjustable stem to work out my preferred position, after which I bought the appropriate 3T stem. I also changed the 3T bars for Ritchey because I found I preferred the anatomic bend. Wheels: I had intended to build my own tubeless on Hed rims, but Victor Major at Velocite did a good job of selling me his carbon composite wheelset. A few other bits and pieces, like a K Edge chain catcher and carbon bottle cages. Weight without pedals came to about 7 kg. Total cost of the bits was just under $5k. First time I went down a hill on it I had visions of the frame disintegrating. What was it, a bit of plastic from a small company in Taiwan that no one’s heard of? But I soon came to love it. One good thing about putting your own bike together is you feel free to do what you like with it. I recently put a SRAM ‘Wifli’ medium cage derailleur and a beautiful 32 tooth cassette on it to help me up the back of Falls – I am 69 after all. And I’m still kind of planning to build some tubeless wheels. But I probably won’t build another bike: I saw a 5.3kg BH at the Bike Expo, and I think that’s the one.

This blog goes in for bike photography in a big way, and I don’t have a pic to your standards. This pic I took of it just now where it lives in my lounge room, a bit dirty and probably with the pedals and valves in the wrong place, but you get the idea!

http://twitter.com/NotQuiteBelgian NQB

The nice thing about a custom build is you can take your time to piece it together – I didn’t have the money up front to buy the type of bike I wanted, so I picked up a component or two every month, hunting for deals to really maximize what I got for my budget. Finding great prices is half the fun – in the end I ended up with a Rival-equipped TIME with carbon tubulars for about $2500. Worth every penny as it’s about the most bike I’ll ever need.

Michael Guthrie

CT, my build is sitting in a cardboard box nearly identical to the one you have pictured up there. Even very similar campy component boxes (but mine have a pink stripe). I’m only missing one last part at this point – see if you can identify it out from this pic I took the other week. Hopeful that it’ll be “bikes of the bunch” worthy someday soon.

Hurtin’ Albertan

My most recent road bike was a Marinoni. Canadian (Quebec) built bike. It’s a pretty neat company that more companies should be like.

While searching for a new bike I was frustrated, as I always have been, by finding bikes with mismatched parts. Most brands out there try to sell the gruppo by putting a higher level derailleur on the bike while keeping the price low by putting a crummy brakeset on.

Marinoni is also a parts distributor and you can basically pick and choose what you want without having to buy the parts separately. You can build up any of their frames with whatever parts spec you like. From Tiagra to Super Record to Red. You can pick your wheelset as well so you don’t end up with one of those disposable OEM sets. Stem length, handlebar width, derailleur mounting styles, even down tube shifters or inline cable adjustors. You can choose it all. They also offer custom or off the rack frames as well of your choice of color. In some cases your choice of paint design.

The cost of all this? Quite competitive with off the rack brands. Take into consideration the fact that you don’t have to swap out half the cockpit and wheels after purchase and you are looking at a bike, that you chose each part of, for about the same as other brands that don’t offer exactly what you are looking for.

italiano

Love the custom bike build. Nothing like it. If I wanted an Australian made and sourced bike I would get it locally. Since I want Italian, I import… Why add middle men to my household financial enterprise.

Steel

Awesome article Matt. So much detail and written simply enough for amateurs like me. Loved it.

Having said that… I reckon you’re absolutely bonkers to go down this path on a new bike. Sorry. It might be fun, but why would you want to pay double or triple for something you can source perfectly from a bike maker as a package?

The cheapest Ultegra DI2 groupset (my ideal next groupset) I could find online is $1600. For $900 more, I can get a cheapo Azzuri and for another $2K I’ve got a Giant TCR0. That’s because Azzuri/Giant buy the groupset for $300 from Shimano. That’s just economies of scale.

There’s also enough adjust-ability in frame sizes, seat posts and stems to be able to fit 99.99 percent of riders.

Admittedly, there’s usually only one thing on the bike that is problematic. You know – in house wheels, crank length, stem length. Simple, strip em off, sell em on ebay and buy the ones you want off the web. You’ll still be miles in front. Alternatively, the bike shop will usually let you pay the difference from those rubbish Mavics to those awesome Zipps (or whatever brand wheel you like to roll on) .

http://www.facebook.com/tim.webber.54 Tim Webber

I started building my own bikes so I knew exactly how they work and could fix them myself, and I’ve recently built my fourth (below). My experience each time I do this is that this definitely hasn’t been a cost-saving exercise for me; I tend to always skew to the higher end components on each purchase, which means that when I add it all up I end up with a pretty full-priced bike. It is a bit addictive…

It was the frame that first peaked my interest on a custom built bike. For 2 weeks I was dreaming up different ways of building up the bike with little regard for price… Now, I had to have the bike, I bought the frame, worked out my budget, talked with my LBS with the options I had and had the bike built up in the new year, I am riding it now and loving it!…
GT EDGE Ti (only 500 made worldwide)
Ultegra mechanical groupset
Zipp ‘Beyond Black’ SSR bars and stem
Specialized Romin saddle
K Edge chain catcher & K Edge Garmin computer mount
Rotor cranks with Praxis works 52/36 chainrings
TWE alum clinchers
A huge thanks to Stew @ Happy Wheels…

MattL

First build i did was to buy a Riddley Damocles frame off some guy on the internet. Turned out to be not a bad bloke and even gave me a bit of advice about the “new” SRAM groupset which had just been released. Turns out he started a little blog some time not too much later.

Nigel

I totally get this article, and from experience my last 5 bikes have all been custom builds as I can determine exactly what parts I want with no compromises. It also becomes a “project” which is some extra fun factor in completeing the build, choosing colours, etc. If you shop well can can also save a heap of the RRP and learn heaps along the way. If worse comes to worse there is always ebay to offload unwanted / incorrect parts, however this is rare if you use the process explained in the article

Todd!

My best advice to give to anyone contemplating their own custom build.

Do lots of research. Ask lots of questions, listen more than talk and you will end up with a great bike

Work out what you want before you go and buy fifty different things and realize you are now broke with 13 types of wheels or saddles for you bike and have to settle for Chorus on the bike should have Super Record. You can say what you like about the durability, etc. Deep down, you long for Super Record…